The winner of the maiden edition of the Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year award will be announced on October 12, 2015.
The announcement will be made at a grand ceremony in Lagos.
The overall winner of the award will emerge from the 10 finalists that were screened by the panel of judges last week.
The 10 who slugged it out at the final lap were winners from Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo States.
The national winner will get N1 million and another N1 million to be paid into his account annually for five years.
The runner-up will take N750,000, while the school that produces the national winner will also become a beneficiary of infrastructural development and projects worth N25 million.
The Panel of Judges, comprising eminent Nigerian academics and professionals, was chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi, the Founder/CEO of Centre for Values in Leadership.
Others on the panel include Mopelola O. Omoegun, Professor of Education, University of Lagos; Prof. Thomas I. Ofuya, Vice Chancellor, Wellspring University and Member, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities; as well as Olusegun Adeniyi, the Chairman of the Editorial Board of ThisDay Newspapers.
Other members are Dr. Abdulrahman Binta Fatima, the National President of the All-Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools; and Prof. Tijjani Abubakar, the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Ahmadu Bello University.
The race for Maltina Teacher-of-The-Year started on May 20, 2015 and generated unprecedented interest from teachers across the country.
The award, instituted by Maltina, the non-alcoholic malt brand from the staple of Nigerian Breweries Plc, is courtesy of Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund.
It is aimed at restoring the pride of teachers and the dignity of the teaching profession.
The collection of application forms, which was to end on June 30, 2015, was extended to July 17, 2015 based on the appeal by secondary school teachers for more time to file their entries.
The initiative, with prizes worth N50 million annually, is to reward commitment and diligence to duty by exceptional teachers across the country.
Kufre Ekanem, Nigerian Breweries Corporate Affairs Adviser, explained: “On October 12 when the prizes will be awarded, the teaching profession will be put on a scale and celebrated in a grand event.
“Teachers are used to watching other professions celebrated on TV, now is their time to be celebrated.”
According to Ekanem, the company hopes that through this initiative it can inspire the nation to accord our teachers their deserved credit and bring back respect to the teaching profession in Nigeria, adding that the objective of the award is to create an avenue where exceptional teachers will be showcased and rewarded annually and continuously. Ohiwerei is the first indigenous Chairman of the leading beverage conglomerate, which has been operating in the country since 1946.
The Trust Fund was established in 1994, with a seed capital of N100 million, to contribute to the development of the educational sector in the country.
Over the years, the company has used the fund to assist over 20,000 students, built 250 classrooms and 22 libraries in both primary and secondary schools across 49 communities in the country.